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<title>I hold his finger, it connects to all I know. by Lizzy_the_Lizard</title>
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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25865350">I hold his finger, it connects to all I know.</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lizzy_the_Lizard/pseuds/Lizzy_the_Lizard'>Lizzy_the_Lizard</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>I know that if I need you / You're just a hug away [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Witcher (TV), Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types, Wiedźmin | The Witcher Series - Andrzej Sapkowski</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Death, death of parents, for like one sentence, hell hound, paternal death, reluctant adoptive father, suggested infanticide</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-12</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 07:47:46</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>406</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25865350</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lizzy_the_Lizard/pseuds/Lizzy_the_Lizard</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Inspiration comes from inexplicifics' Accidental Warlord AU and a poem by Erin Hanson</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Original Male Character &amp; Original Female Character</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>I know that if I need you / You're just a hug away [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1876876</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>191</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Inspired by inexplicific Accidental Warlord AU</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>I hold his finger, it connects to all I know.</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">


        <li>
            Inspired by

            <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23273713">With a Conquering Air</a> by <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/inexplicifics/pseuds/inexplicifics">inexplicifics</a>.
        </li>

    </ul></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Blood starts seeping out of the corner of the woman's mouth, a bundle of blankets pressed to her heaving chest.<br/>
He wipes his blade on the fur of the creature he just killed and placed it back into the scabbard on his back. She smelled scared, terrified even.<br/>
"Take her." He halted, hand reaching for the dagger at his hip, there was nothing he could do for her but give her a quick death, to reunite her with her husband.<br/>
She moved her arms, trying to push the blankets towards him.<br/>
"Her name... it's... Isobel."<br/>
He took the babe, the wish of a dying mother, to see her child grow.<br/>
Isobel.<br/>
He had no idea how to care for something so small and fragile, but he would do his best. He released the mother of her pain swiftly. Closing her eyes afterwards.<br/>
A well placed Aard had the cave crumbling down into itself, burying the mother whose name he did not know.<br/>
He turned his back to the makeshift burial hill, returning to his horse.</p>
<p>Gerden glanced down into the bundle of blankets in his arms. By the Gods in what kind of trouble has he gotten himself into now. He could take her back to the village. But. But winter was close, during the summertime people would welcome a small, helpless babe with open arms, moved by her tragic fate. But now, as the days were growing longer and the nights colder, food was precious and not as freely given anymore.<br/>
No, he'd take her. Back in the days before the White Wolf, he might have killed her like her mother, to save her from the pain of a hard life, if she even made it that far. Not many people would take a child given to them by a witcher. The path was no place for a child, much less one so tiny and helpless, but now he could take her to the keep. They had women who were mothers there. Little Isobel would never be hungry, or cold, or afraid. He would protect her, safe her like he couldn't save her mother and father.<br/>
Still caked in mud and blood and gore he slowly peeled back the blankets, revealing blond fluff, not really hair jet, and bright, green eyes, staring up at him. She blinked, and reached for his finger, holding it in her tiny, tiny fist.<br/>
Yes, he would keep her safe.</p>
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